Rural/Metro ambulance breaks down on 911 call in Santa Clara County after baby falls from second-story window

By Karen de Sá kdesa@mercurynews.com

Posted:
08/03/2013 12:11:28 PM PDT

Updated:
08/03/2013 03:55:05 PM PDT

SUNNYVALE -- Its brakes failing, a Rural/Metro ambulance came screeching to a stop outside a Sunnyvale apartment building last week after a 5-month-old baby girl plunged from a second-story window.

The incident heightened scrutiny of the private ambulance company that serves Santa Clara County and 700 other communities nationwide, as evidence mounts that the Arizona-based firm is barreling toward bankruptcy and may be delaying vehicle maintenance as it struggles to pay its bills.

Responding to reports from paramedics, county and company officials confirmed that one of Rural/Metro's 55 local ambulances broke down on the scene of the 911 call in Sunnyvale after being dispatched about 5 p.m. Tuesday. The infant did not suffer any additional harm because of the vehicle failure, said Michael Petrie, the county's director of emergency medical services. And the ambulance with the faulty brake system was immediately removed from the fleet.

"It sort of skidded to a stop at the scene of the emergency," Petrie said, adding that first responders in Sunnyvale arrived within the mandatory eight-minute window and were able to provide immediate treatment. A backup ambulance minutes later transported the infant to Valley Medical Center, where her injuries from the fall were determined not to be life-threatening, Sunnyvale public safety officers said.

Rural/Metro public relations manager Marisa Melo said in an email that paramedics observed "mechanical difficulties" while en route to the scene, and "as a precaution, the crew called for another ambulance to also respond to the call."

Advertisement

Melo said the incident is still being investigated, but noted that the ambulance had a "bumper to bumper" service, performed by Rural/Metro employees, on June 15. "We have and will continue to maintain the highest level of service and maintenance on all of our vehicles," she said.

The ambulance breakdown was unfortunate timing for Rural/Metro, whose contracts across the country are already under intense scrutiny because the national ambulance chain, which operates in 21 states, failed to make a crucial bond payment last month. The company's credit rating has been downgraded to junk status.

Industry insiders and the financial press have reported that the company has hired restructuring consultants, with bankruptcy a possible scenario.

In Santa Clara County, the company narrowly averted breaching its contract late last month after it failed to pay mandatory fines and fees to the region's vast emergency response system. Payments of approximately $2.4 million arrived days before the five-year Rural/Metro contract would have been thrown into question.

County regulators are continuing to evaluate claims by employees that Rural/Metro is not adequately maintaining its ambulance fleet, resulting in back doors that don't unlock and tires that are worn down to steel threads.

The Sunnyvale breakdown brought the issues into even sharper focus, said paramedic Jason Brollini, who said the ambulance crew was stunned when the vehicle broke down on such a serious call. "What is concerning to me is that the crew had to be put out of service because of the (emotional) impact of the event" on the employees, said Brollini, who serves as political director for the union that represents Rural/Metro workers in Santa Clara County.

But others call the recent breakdown simply a fact of life on the road. County officials said they believe the problem with the ambulance may have been caused by a manufacturing defect, not poor maintenance.

"Mechanical engines are mechanical engines, and once in a while they fail," said Sunnyvale public safety Capt. Dave Pitts.

Regardless, county officials now have one more Rural/Metro incident to investigate. That comes after two high-level meetings in recent weeks with its CEO, Scott Bartos, to address concerns about the company's sustainability. In an abundance of caution, the county has also asked other ambulance providers to stand by for a possible takeover.

Officials in Arizona are seeking similar assurances. Will Humble, director of the state's Department of Health Services, asked Bartos in a July 26 letter to "ensure that events outside of Arizona will not have a negative impact" on Rural/Metro's Arizona operations.

Humble, who is still awaiting a response, also asked about the likelihood of bankruptcy and whether cash flows are adequate to cover outflows. "If not," Humble wrote, "what is the Rural/Metro Inc.'s plan for fixing that problem?"